The present invention relates to a device for suturing tissue and, more particularly, to an apparatus and device capable of threading a continuous or single adjusted length and depth of suture through a tissue and to a method of using same to approximate, ligate, suture or fixate tissue and/or an implant such as a mesh.
Suturing remains a common approach for repair of tissues and is used for tissue approximation, ligation and fixation of tissue access sites, organs, vessels, fixation of meshes and other implants or devices and the like. Although largely dependent on the skill of the surgeon, the results obtained using a suture are highly predictable and reliable.
Alternatives to suturing developed over the years such as staples, fasteners (tackers), anchors and tissue adhesives, have gained varying degrees of acceptance and are used for tissue repair in both open and minimally invasive procedures. Nonetheless, suturing remains ubiquitous in surgical repair due to availability of a wide variety of suturing kits at relatively low costs and the mechanical advantages afforded by suturing.
Thus, suture remains a mainstay of surgical repair however, it is not without disadvantages. Placing a number of stitches can be tiring and time-consuming which can lead to suturing errors that can compromise the integrity of repair. In addition, manipulation of a suture needle as well as access to the suturing location can be difficult especially in minimally invasive surgery due to the nature of the minimally invasive surgery and/or the limited anatomical space around the target tissues, while tying knots with a desired amount of tension requires precise manipulation of the suture ends further complicating and slowing open, and in particular, minimally-invasive surgeries. In fact, for many procedures the time spent suturing may be significantly greater than the time spent treating the underlying target tissues.
Although tissue stapling devices and adhesives as well as devices which employ a combination of anchors and sutures can traverse these limitations of suturing by enabling rapid ligation of tissue, the tissue ligation/fixation created thereby is oftentimes less reliable or does not involve easy access and large number of sutures.
Thus, there remains a need for a device capable of ligating/fixating tissues rapidly and reliably while being operable within a confined anatomical space through a minimally invasive approach.